Das Lungenkrebsrisiko Durch Inhalation von Radon-222-Zerfallsprodukten

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Ergebnisse der in den USA und in der CSSR durchgeführten Erhebungen über die Lungenkrebshäufigkeit bei Uranbergarbeitern gegenübergestellt und verglichen. An Hand dieser Daten wird der Zusammenhang zwischen der beobachteten erhöhten Lungenkrebsmortalität und der durch Rn-Zerfallsprodukte verursachten Strahlenexposition bei diesen Arbeitern diskutiert und der Risikokoeffizient für strahleninduzierten Lungenkrebs abgeschätzt. Der relative Risikokoeffizient stimmt bei beiden Kollektiven von Uranbergarbeitern innerhalb der Vertrauensgrenzen überein und liegt im Bereich von 0,001 bis 0,005 WLM^–1. Demgegenüber besteht zwischen dem abgeleiteten absoluten Risikokoeffizienten von etwa 20±10 (USA-Kollektiv) bzw. 150±50 (CSSR-Kollektiv) zusätzliche Lungenkrebsfälle pro WLM und 10⁶ Personen ein signifikanter Unterschied. Der Einfluß synergistischer bzw. kocancerogener Effekte wird diskutiert. Die Zunahme der Lungenkrebsmortalität mit steigender Exposition ist signifikant verknüpft mit einer Zunahme des kleinzeiligen, undifferenzierten Krebszelltyps.

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The lung cancer risk by inhalation of Rn-222-decay products

Summary The results of surveys in the USA and the CSSR about the lung cancer mortality among uranium miners are compared. The relation between the observed excess lung cancer mortality and the cumulative exposure of these miners by inhaled Rn-daughters is discussed and the risk coefficients for radiation-induced lung cancer are estimated. The relative risk coefficients of both study groups of U-miners agree within the confidence limits and are in the range of 0,001 to 0,005 WLM^–1. The derived absolute risk coefficients of 20±10 (USA group) and 150±50 (CSSR group) additional lung cancer deaths per WLM and 10⁶ miners are, however, significantly different. The influence of synergistic or cocancerogenic actions is discussed. The increase of lung cancer mortality with Rn-exposure is significantly correlated with an increase of the small-cell, undifferentiated type of carcinoma.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. B. Rajewsky zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Sequencing of the Dutch Elm Disease Fungus Genome Using the Roche/454 GS-FLX Titanium System in a Comparison of Multiple Genomics Core Facilities

As part of the DNA Sequencing Research Group of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities, we have tested the reproducibility of the Roche/454 GS-FLX Titanium System at five core facilities. Experience with the Roche/454 system ranged from <10 to >340 sequencing runs performed. All participating sites were supplied with an aliquot of a common DNA preparation and were requested to conduct sequencing at a common loading condition. The evaluation of sequencing yield and accuracy metrics was assessed at a single site. The study was conducted using a laboratory strain of the Dutch elm disease fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi strain H327, an ascomycete, vegetatively haploid fungus with an estimated genome size of 30–50 Mb. We show that the Titanium System is reproducible, with some variation detected in loading conditions, sequencing yield, and homopolymer length accuracy. We demonstrate that reads shorter than the theoretical minimum length are of lower overall quality and not simply truncated reads. The O. novo-ulmi H327 genome assembly is 31.8 Mb and is comprised of eight chromosome-length linear scaffolds, a circular mitochondrial conti of 66.4 kb, and a putative 4.2-kb linear plasmid. We estimate that the nuclear genome encodes 8613 protein coding genes, and the mitochondrion encodes 15 genes and 26 tRNAs.     

All the colors of the world: biotic homogenization-differentiation dynamics of freshwater fish communities on demand of the Brazilian aquarium trade

Hydrobiologia - Non-native freshwater fish introduced via the aquarium trade can cause major changes at the community level over time and space, resulting in dynamics context dependencies within...     

Feeding of Arapaima sp.: integrating stomach contents and local ecological knowledge

The giant arapaima (Arapaima sp.) has been described as a fish of change in Amazonia because of its important role in the conservation of floodplains, food security and income generation for rural communities. Nonetheless, despite the cultural, ecological and economic importance of arapaima, data on diet are scarce. Aiming to expand knowledge about arapaima diet in western Amazonia, scientific knowledge was integrated with the knowledge of local dwellers. During the low-water period (September 2018) and the falling-water period (June 2019), arapaima stomachs were collected from 11 floodplain lakes in the middle Juruá River. All fishes were measured [TL (total length)] and sexed. Food items from each stomach were categorized as fishes, invertebrates, plants and bone remains and weighed. Also, in the latter period, experienced local fishers were interviewed about arapaima feeding. This integrated approach revealed that young arapaima eat fish and invertebrates but adult arapaima eat fish of a wide range of species, which were mainly of low and intermediate trophic positions. This study reports the first case of cannibalism for arapaima and also shows that during the low-water period, many individuals had empty stomachs or only some small fish-bone remains and/or plant material. Arapaima sex and TL had no influence on the absence of prey in stomach contents. Overall, it can be concluded that local people had consistent ethnobiological knowledge of arapaima feeding ecology that could be useful within management projects in the region.     

Effect of Metalaxyl on the incidence and severity of Pearl millet downy mildew disease in Northern Nigeria

Pearl millet downy mildew (DM) incidence, severity and yield losses of two pearl millet varieties (local and improved) due to the disease were determined in the field. Significant differences in the disease incidence and severity were recorded in the plots sown with metalaxyl-treated seeds and those sown with non-treated seeds, indicating the efficacy of the fungicide on the fungus. Yield losses due to non-treatment of seeds with metalaxyl was 40.88 and 45.39% in a local variety and 43.00 and 18.60% in an improved variety in the 2000 and 2001 cropping seasons respectively. Significant differences between plots sown with metalaxyl-treated and those sown with non-treated seeds were obtained for other yield components such as 1000-grains weight, panicle length and weight.     

Quantitation of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial DNA mutations by primer extension using Vent(R)(exo-) DNA polymerase and RFLP analysis

In this report we describe a simple and rapid protocol for reliable quantitation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, which is basically a modification of the traditional polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis technique. Up to now, the PCR/RFLP method has been of limited use for the accurate determination of ratios of mutant and wild type molecules, largely owing to the formation of heteroduplex molecules by PCR and incompleteness of restriction digestion. In order to overcome this problem, we have introduced a single-step primer extension reaction using Vent(R)(exo-) DNA polymerase and a fluorescence-labeled primer to the standard assay. The labeled homoduplex molecules are then digested with a restriction endonuclease, and the nucleic acids fractionated on an automated DNA sequencer equipped with GENESCAN analysis software. The amount of mutant mtDNA is readily estimated from fluorescence intensities of the wild-type and mutant mtDNA fragments corrected for incomplete digestion as monitored by a homologous control fragment. The accuracy of the improved protocol was determined by constructing standard curves obtained from defined mixtures of genomic DNA containing homoplasmic wild-type and mutant mtDNA. The expected values were obtained, with an observed correlation coefficient of 0.997 and a typical variability of +/-5% between repeated measurements. Further validation of the protocol is provided by the screening of five patients and unaffected subjects carrying the guanine to adenine transition at the nucleotide 3460 of the mitochondrial genome responsible for the mitochondrial disorder of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.